Friday, February 26, 2010

Just in time for the Oscars, here's what one of the insightful conversations in our comments section would look like, if it was held by vaguely humanoid animatronic robots in Level B9 of the someday-to-be-built Wiehle Metro station parking garage. You're welcome.

Criticizing Section 8 or/and hudgins is racist? Get a life you idiot and look up the word and keeo your bigoted comments to your ignorant self.

It's VERY clear that you are a bigot who is intolerant or anyone who questions your bizarre and incredible fostering of the failure known as Reston.

More of your failed Restonian ideals: ideals that perpetuate ugly brutalist architecture (lake anne -- that, despite thousand-dollar monthly condo fees fail to attract any sustainable commercial interest; failed "village" centers; unsafe, graffiti marred foot paths; disgusting open sewers that RA assessments fund and are called lakes; and the RA itself -- a bloated entity that fails to do what its own bylaws direct it do and and entity that has a long history of shameful acts that disregard the will of those who fund it.

Thank god and the devil that I don't live in Reston and pay for your nonsense and your bigoted, intolerant and arrogant attitude and those you foolishly elect to cash-rape you with your ever-increasing assessments!

Section 8 is yet another of a long list of failed government "programs." Please enlighten me where in our constitution it says that the government should provide housing for anyone?

Knowing that even the uber-liberal Washington Post has condemned as allowing $200,000 plus income earners to live in section 8 housing.

What's more, the government housing "program" pushed by hudgins take income--producing properties out of the hands of tax-paying private land owners and turns them into black holes for tax dollars -- our tax dollars.

What kind of logic is that in a county and a commonwealth that are facing billion-dollar budget shortages?

liberal-leftist failure!

Change can't come soon enough -- VOTE in March for sensible RA candidates who will cut the RA fat and bloat, fire matthews and get the RA out of your wallets.

Wow. I agree with Le Pigeon regarding the ever-classy anon 7:23pm. Not only do we need some serious proofreading services for the comment section but also a breathalyzer test before anyone can click "Post Comment".

In the words of Ron Burgundy, "Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast."

I call for no more anonymous postings. Are you afraid that the evil RA will knock on your door in the middle of the night? Sheesh, activists in third world countries have the courage to speak out despite REAL threats to their safety.

this is turning into my favorite post ever! a perfectly choreographed exchange hitting all the elements..suck eggs Vancouver opening ceremonies!! Now, as soon as BiCO and Rod chime in all will be complete...(picture a lit cig and long slow exhale.)

It's the whole High School Breakfast Club thing, DVD. Most of the anonymous posters want to believe that they are part of the In group, that they are the Athletes and the Princesses. Inside, though, they secretly yearn to be more like the Brain, the Basket Case and/or the Criminal. They haven't come to terms with the idea that we are all of these and more, some more so than others. Posting as Anonymous allows them to have it both ways. They can hold onto their delusions of In group status while indulging their pent up desires for the freedom of lower Out group mores and social expectations.

Deep down inside, they admire the bravery of BiCO and El Peruno to speak their minds, even when they get dogged for their opinions. They want to be as witty as The Peasant or as punny as Le Pigeon. Yes, they even yearn to be like Rod with all of the grammatical errors and single-minded, stream of consciousness prose. I don't always agree with them but I put more weight on these opinions because they are at least brave enough to own them.

So, if people want to be heard and want to be part of the group, why don't they get a moniker? Because being yourself is a risk. If you post an unpopular idea, you might have to answer some uncomfortable questions and maybe even have your social status diminished or, worse yet, some people just may not like you. And we all want to be liked. By everybody. All of the time. Which is hopelessly unrealistic. So they continue to hide behind Anonymous because it's far safer to their fragile egos to be just nameless and faceless when they float their air biscuits in this crowded elevator that we call Restonian.

Either that or they're too damned stupid or lazy to figure out how to set up a Google account.

@Gulag - LOL, I am anon 6:25 and I am not too ashamed to admit I am too stupid and lazy to figure out how to set up a google account. It would be great if there was an easier way to have a profile. I'd rather link to one of my already existing e-mail accounts. But I think no one anon's would be cool. At least posts could be attributable to something.

@Anon 7:28pm last night - I think your views would get a lot further if you dropped the angry. jeez, this is a local blog nobody's trying to cure cancer here, lighten up. Maybe a little more fiber in your diet would help.....

This is not about Republicans versus Democrats. I am not a Republican, but I am fed-up with RA.RA has forgotten that they are a home owners association. Their mission is to protect our property values and to enhance the Reston quality of life.

Fairfax County is trying to slip thousands of residential units into the RCIG. Our HOA should be outraged. Instead their only concern is 'please make sure to include more low income housing'. Excuse me -- they are supposed to be protecting our home values, not working for Kathy Hudgins, who sold out to developers long ago.

I think it's more than a coincidence that 2 of the RA directors are precinct captains for the Hunter Mill Democratic party (Richard Chew and Frank Lynch) and one director (Kathleen Driscoll McKee) is a former aide to Kathy Hudgins.

La Pidgeon I did watch the vidio and it was great! I hope we citizens can fire Mathews and Lila Gordon who spoke against the RCA's Mike Corriagan's plan to make a town and community in Reston.

As far as standing up for Reston I realize it's difficult to do and I myself have been slow to do it as ungramatical and full of misbellings as I am apt to be. Winston Churchill said, If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.

I urge all Reston Citizens to stand up and be counted. I care much less about myself "winning the election" then not living in a democracy.

back then men were men and weren't afraid to hide behind their anonymous option We stood hand in hand and put ourselves out front and achieved freedom from segregation for the black people in America and got us out of a crazy war

I had said earlier that I would not appear at ARCH Wed at 7:00 Lake Ann Annex of RCC but I have since decided that I would advocating instead for my ideas rather than my candidacy. I think all candidates should be for my ideas and heard some articulating them at the recent RCA meeting. Vote for what ever flavor of candidate you want I say but be for Reston. I favor lines of communication that goes both ways and do not want any expensive feasibility studies unless the citizens of Reston really want it.

ARCH has sent out five questions

1- I favor more citizen volunteering as a recreation. I think citizens could and should be allowed to run Reston. If citizen volunteers were in charge of the equipment during the recent snow storms everything would of been cleared off better. Volunteering for work instead of the pic up stick kind of volunteering could be a kind of recreation saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in Reston and actually lowering the annual dues!

2-I favor better communication between the board and citizens. The Browns Chapel thing went too far without it. I think the sitizens simply feared what the RA would do with thier money.

3- I couldn't imagine anyone in RCIG wanting to join the RA voluntarily unless maybe they exempted them from having to pay dues for fifty years and instead paid them a large fee for joining.

4- I think that the master plan should encompass a orderly and good inclusion of the needed infrastructure and aesthetic qualities needed to be a viable community. I have heard more about successful revitalization plans then I have of communities growing 50,000 new residents. I think one brilliant planner is needed to over see the plan.

5- I do not like Executive Secession which really means secret session. I had the experience of addressing the Reston Community Center Board a few years ago and they reacted very negatively. I couldn't believe it! Then a few months later I went back again a lone citizen in a room full of board members just to watch. They went into executive session I always thought afraid of me and I had to leave.

Executive session is proper when discussing personal matters. I hope the new board goes into executive session to discuss the dismissal of Milton Mathews for his shameful using the RA email to endorse the candidates that he (and maybe Chew) preferred during the recent snow gate and his insincere inarticulate and misdirected apology.

I have followed this blog off and on for a year or so. I rarely post. I know that blogs tend to have self-selecting audiences, the satirical and sarcastic tone of Restonian is no exception. Comments are often amusing-- biting but amusing. It seems though that now you have all reached a new low; that the anonymity of posting under monikers or as anonymous has simply given people permission to be rude, and deliberately hurtful. Its all become very, very tiresome and incredibly unproductive. At the risk of sounding trite…(wait for it as Restonian would say…), I can’t help but wonder what each of you could contribute to your community if you were to focus your energy on doing what you could do for good rather than spending so much time frothing over the efforts of others. If you are going to disparage others, calling for firings, making accusations of fraud and whatever else you imagine I think you should sign your names, be honest, be willing to stand by your commentary.

Of course that’s not what the Restonian is all about—since none of the article writers are willing to come out of their closets there is no reason to expect any more courage from the posters—so I’ve decided to give up the Restonian—this neighborhood has become a really unpleasant place to hang out.

In regards to this thread make no mistake that while I am personally rather unhappy living in Reston I still do wholeheartedly sing its praises to others pondering relocation here. While a community like Winchester or Fredericksburg is more to my liking---sidewalks, tree-lined narrow low-speed streets, interesting (i.e. not communist-looking) architecture, a REAL downtown (not a fake afterthought of over-priced corporate chains catering to the Ashburn crowd), and a sense of neighbors truly knowing and CARING ABOUT most of their neighbors---Reston still has some brilliant elements that would make it a perfect place for retirees, families, and those who generally just seek a compromise between the rowdiness of Arlington and the ugliness of Ashburn. I love the trail system. Call me crazy, but I also really like Lake Anne. I like the proximity to my office in McLean. However, these benefits, to me, don't justify the very high rental prices in Reston, which is why I'm thinking of doing the unimaginable and power-commuting in from Winchester, a town that actually has an IDENTITY, charm, character, and SOUL. I don't see the allure of a place like Tysons Corner, Ashburn, or Reston to justify the outrageous cost-of-living. Contrary to popular belief Reston isn't "one-of-a-kind." Take the dense tree canopy away, and you have a carbon copy of many other suburbs---traffic congestion on wide high-speed roads that pedestrians fear crossing, ugly architecture, chain restaurants, surface parking lots, elitists/NIMBYs, etc., etc. That's all Reston would really be if not for its lush vegetation.

Reston is far too "suburban" for me to ever consider it a nice place to live, but if that's your cup of tea, then you'll love this place. Any efforts to promote more pedestrian-friendliness and cyclist safety via sidewalks and bike lanes, the gradual increase of density to fit more people in less land to increase the availability of open space, the arrival of a new mass transit option that will BENEFIT the community, etc. are are shot down and disparaged. Reston has shown itself to be FAR too "NIMBY" for my tastes, so in 2011 I'm moving elsewhere---most likely to Winchester. The Baby Boomers who dominate this community and this forum honestly don't care what the under-30 crowd really wants in a community, so you'd rather us all just move out. I'm one of several early-20s newbies to Reston who has already tired of this place, so you can keep kissing us good-bye as long as you all attempt to silence us.

How ironic, 11:33, cajoling others about posting as Anonymous while ...wait for it ...posting as Anonymous yourself.

Equally ironic, you accuse others of not contributing to the community either on-line or off-. Yet, what are you doing? You're leaving our on-line community instead of posting by a moniker and contributing to the discourse on the website. What is it that you are likely to do instead of visiting here? Well, I suspect that instead of running for office or even going outside and picking up trash, you'll probably just find another blog and post there. Herndonian, maybe?

Well I got another email from Richard Chew. The last time (I very much think given the devious and clumsy nature of Richard Chew) it was a official email from RA Urging volunteers to help shovel snow at area schools and endorsing the purported organizers, Mike Collins, Kevin Danaher, and David Robinson who the email pointed out are Reston Association members and this project is not an RA sponsored event the email pointed out. What it didn't say was that they were also candidates for three separate contested seats in the current Reston election. Citizens were urged to bring their shovels and their cameras. Why their cameras? Anyway Chew arrived with his favored candidates as did a lot of Reston citizens where he started giving a speech for the waiting cameras.

I next saw Chew at the RCA meeting this past week where he was seen busily scampering about the corners of the room doing his business.

Well last night I got another email from Chew endorsing this time the election and offering to give his knowledge on the various candidates.

I first meet Chew when He tried to get me to resign as a candidate when I was running for the same board seat he was a few years back. (This is apparently well known as Leighton told he he knew of it) I didn't; I'm don't backs down. We both lost the election, I came in third and Chew came in fifth. If Chew is successful in getting other candidates to win this race maybe he can face me again when he tries to run next year. Won't that be fun?

Here's Chew's most recent email. Maybe some will want to reach out to him and find out what he knows about each of the candidates and they could then post it here:

Dear Reston Friends and Neighbors

Every year Reston Association Members have an opportunity to shape the future of Reston by participating in the election to fill vacancies on the RA Board of Directors. This year, ballots will start arriving in your mailboxes this coming Friday, March 5.

This year, we are fortunate to have three contested races where Members have well-defined choices for each seat to be filled.

All RA Members have a choice of four candidates running for an At Large seat on the Board.

Members living in the North Point area of Reston will also be able to select from three candidates seeking to fill the Lake Anne/Tall Oaks District Director seat currently held by Frank Lynch who is not running for re-election.

Members living in the Lake Anne/Tall Oaks area of Reston will also be able to select from three candidates seeking to fill the North Point District Director seat currently held by Robin Smyers who is leaving the Board after serving for six years.

The Directors elected to the Board will be called on to make critical decisions regarding the quality and cost of living in Reston. This year they will also play a significant role in selecting the Board leadership and setting Board priorities for years to come.

I want to encourage all of you to take the time to learn more about all of the candidates running this year for the RA Board. Here are some suggestions for doing so:

· Attend the Alliance for Reston Clusters and Homeowners (ARCH) Candidates’ Forum this Wednesday evening, March 3, at 7 p.m. at the Lake Anne Elementary School.

· Reach out to me and I will be happy to share with you what I know about each of the candidates.

Ballots must be cast by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 2. Members have the choice of casting their ballot online through the Reston Association website or by mail. If you have any questions regarding the election process, you can contact me directly or call 703-435-6512.

Wow, what a thread...this should go to the National Archives as a "Best of Restonian". It has a little bit of everthing we have come to know and love on Restonian -- some great snark, a couple of political diatribes, the usual good contributions by the regulars, a guest appearance by our favorite troll, Rod's stream of consciousness musings, and another classic BiCO.

As for the subject of posting anonymously and/or under a screen name, versus a real name, I really don't see what the issue is. With all the scams on the Internet, plus the fact that anything on the Web now lives in perpetuity, I can see why most IT sceurity experts suggest not using your real name. Restonian is no different in this regard than any other website; even the vast majority of readers who comment on the website of the august New York Times cannot be identified.

I think it is useful, though, to adopt a distinct screen identity when commenting on this "filthy Web-log" for a couple of reasons. When there's a long thread like this one and multiple readers posting as "anonymous", it does get confusing to figure out which anonymous is which in all the back and forth. I also have enjoyed coming to know the viewpoints and personalities of my fellow posters who, like me, have adopted a screen name, and I think it contributes to the sense of community here. Probably by now you all know how great a fan I am of the DRB. In turn, I know that, among other regulars here, Convict is not a big fan of the "gulags" of South Reston but is of roller derby; that Hickory Cluster will defend Lake Anne with passion; and that BiCO is a great devotee of urban planning, more sidewalks and street lights, and greater density, but not of us damn NIMBY-istic baby boomers.

And if our esteemed Restonian himself can adopt a screen name for legitimate reasons, as he explained in his recent radio interview, then I think we all can as well.

Well, it is different. One is a name, to which one's character as an individual can be attached over time. The other is generic, with no character, and is therefore more secretive, and in many cases, more cowardly.

You are still hiding...if you use your real name then there's some chance that we'll meet and have to OWN our words. That's the difference. Here using a handle I can be as rude and mean spirited as I want, I don't have to be accountable, because I'm hidden. I would think this would be obvious to everyone.

If you're the same person as 4:12 (hard to tell for sure, since they're both anonymous), you said there was no difference between having a handle and being anon.

The truth is people with handles are not hiding as much as anonymous people. Yes, you're right that they're similar - both use masks of sorts, of different thicknesses - but you're wrong when you say they're not different.

Personally, I enjoy being able to attach an online identity and personality to people, which requires them to have handles. You can't do that with anonymous posters. I couldn't go back to any part of this blog and know that it was you making a comment, but you could with me. That's a difference, you have to admit.

@Peasant at 5:28: Who knows? Maybe they're all missives from Restonian, written under multiple alter egos.

I also agree with Le Pigeon. It's nice to attach fictional aliases to people's comments, which is why as a previously anonymous poster, I'll do just that going forward. Now if those punks would just stop spray-painting gang signs on my stomach, I'd be really happy...

@Le Pigeon, this is 4:12. my point is, quite simply, there's only one person in this whole thread that isn't anon. rod. that's it. the rest are hiding behind names or being truly anon. yes, the difference between having a profile and not is technically there, but at the end of the day your real identity is unknown. to say someone is "cowardly" when you're not making your real identity know is hypocritical.

Actually, if you look back, that wasn't your original point. You said there was no difference.

There's a reason, for instance, why communities with message boards require people to register and create a unique user name to post in them. Otherwise all the trolls would stroll right in and the moderators would have no control over them.

And we all know that trolls are a common and natural consequence of eating at the Macaroni Grill.

For what it's worth anyone who REALLY wants to figure out my true identity could do so with very limited difficulty. You know I live in Charter Oak, which only has a few hundred residents to begin with out of the 65,000 or so in Reston. You know I'm fresh out of college. You know I'm earning less than half of Reston's median household income. You know I detest sprawl. You know I work in Tyson's Corner. You know I'm an avid runner. You know I love my church and the library. Another clue? I drive a Mazda (which narrows the field down further to perhaps a dozen Charter Oak residents). You know I'm non-heterosexual (gasp!). You know Bob Simon himself helped rescue me when I got stuck inside of my leather coat at a master plan session at South Lakes HS. You know I like Lake Anne. I'm a Democrat who ironically votes Republican half the time. You know I'm somewhat aggressive and dominant. I do NOT post my real name because in the past on politically-charged forums and venues I've had credible threats lodged against me, my employer, and my family, but if someone wanted to stake out a spot in front of my complex today they'd see me pulling in to go home around 3 PM (and likely pull back out to go to my gym shortly thereafter, perhaps followed by Chick-Fil-A so I can use a coupon I received).

Yes, there is a technical difference (which I acknowledged) but effectively there is no difference. A persona isn't an identity. As an example, BiCO could be completely full of it and made up everything in his post. I don't think that's the case, but it could just be his online persona's information, not his.

Trolls and being anonymous aren't synonymous. IMHO the biggest troll here lately is Rod and he's also the only completely public figure.

Our anonymous Restonian has deleted posts on several occasions. So, clearly, the moderator does have control.

BTW, at no point am I suggesting anyone should have to post their RL info. It's simply comical to me that posters with an online persona somehow think they're superior to posters without one and dismiss anonymous posters comments as invalid simply because they don't have a persona.